Stress Inversion Of Focal Mechanisms Research Articles

Strain and Moment Rates from GPS and Seismological Data in Northern Iran: Implications for an Evaluation of Stress Trajectories and Probabilistic Fault Rupture Hazard

This study provides a multi-disciplinary overview of the seismology and geodetic data with tectonics analysis in order to provide an evaluation of stress trajectories, and probabilistic fault rupture hazard assessment. Based on the different scenarios obtained from the comparison of several overviews and their interpretation, we investigated the kinematics and active tectonics of different structural zones. In this study, the magnitudes and directions of seismic and geodetic strain rates (SSR and GSR) were evaluated using reliable earthquake focal mechanisms and all available GPS data (1999–2015) in the structural subzones of northern Iran, where have experienced more than 14 strong instrumental earthquakes (Mw ≥ 6). In addition, a tectonic stress model was inferred from the Focal Mechanism Stress Inversion (FMSI). The new crustal stress map was proposed by the weighted average analysis of the SSR, GSR, and FMSI. N35.5° E and N104° E were estimated for the Alborz and Talesh mountains, respectively. The numerical analysis of stress regimes confirms the slip partitioning mechanism of oblique shortening on the sub-parallel thrusts and strike-slip faults in the area. Four main stress regime categories were defined, including thrust (49.37%), strike-slip (39.24%), thrust with a strike-slip component (2.53%), normal (1.27%), and unknown faulting (7.59%). Seismic and geodetic moment rates (SMR and GMR) and their comparison were also calculated in order to evaluate the function of these parameters in determining the seismicity arrangement. The ratio of the seismic/geodetic moment rates for the area is ~70.7%. This ratio for the Alborz, western Koppeh-Dagh, north part of Central Iran, South Caspian Basin, and Talesh is ~0.9, 0.3, 11.9, 0.3, and 57.3, respectively, which indicates the most elastic energy has been released in the Talesh and the north part of Central Iran. The comparison of geodetic moment rates in the subzones of the area indicates that geodetic deformation is high in the Central Alborz (networks 8, 9, 17) and western Koppeh-Dagh (networks 5, 13).

Seismicity, Stress State, and Style of Faulting of the Ridgecrest-Coso Region from the 1930s to 2019: Seismotectonics of an Evolving Plate Boundary Segment

ABSTRACTDecadal scale variations in the seismicity rate in the Ridgecrest-Coso region, part of the Eastern California Shear Zone, included seismic quiescence from the 1930s to the early 1980s, followed by increased seismicity until the 2019 Mw 6.4 and 7.1 Ridgecrest sequence. This sequence exhibited complex rupture on almost orthogonal faults and triggered aftershocks over an area of ∼90 km long by ∼5–10 km wide, which is a fraction of the area of the previously seismically active Indian Wells Valley and Coso range region. During the last 40 yr, the seismicity has been predominantly the result of strike-slip motion, extending north from the Garlock fault, along the Little Lake and Airport Lake fault zones, and approaching the southernmost Owens Valley fault to the north. The Coso range forms an extensional stepover between these two strike-slip fault systems. This evolution of a plate boundary zone is driven by the northwestward motion of the Sierra Nevada, and crustal extension along the southwestern edge of the Basin and Range Province. Stress inversion of focal mechanisms shows that the postseismic stress state consists of almost horizontal σ1 and vertical σ2. The σ1 is spatially rotated across the Coso range stepover with σ1-trending ∼N17° E to the north, whereas, along the Mw 7.1 mainshock rupture, the trend is ∼N6° E. The friction angles as measured between fault strikes and the σ1 trends correspond to a frictional coefficient of 0.75, suggesting average fault strength. In comparison, the mature Garlock fault has a smaller frictional coefficient of 0.28, similar to weak faults like the San Andreas fault. Thus, it appears that the heterogeneously oriented and spatially distributed but strong Ridgecrest-Coso faults accommodate seismicity at seemingly random places and times within the region and are in the process of self-organizing to form a major throughgoing plate-boundary segment.

Contemporary stress and strain field in the Mediterranean from stress inversion of focal mechanisms and GPS data

Mapping the contemporary stress field of the Mediterranean provides fundamental insights on the complexity of plate tectonic forces throughout the region and at different depths. Despite increased data availability and methodological improvements, most recent comprehensive stress field characterization across the entire Mediterranean dates back to 1995. To extend the regional stress information, we use all earthquake focal mechanisms compiled in the World Stress Map database release 2016 for a formal stress inversion. Our main goals are to (1) improve the resolution of the stress field orientation, (2) evaluate the performance of the recently refined stress inversion methodology in a tectonically complex region, (3) test the hypothesis of a depth-dependent stress orientation heterogeneity, and (4) compare different types of stress and strain observations from surface using the GPS-derived information on the strain rate tensor down to the seismogenic crust using summation of normalized seismic potencies. The obtained stress orientations generally capture the main seismotectonic features, including tectonically complex settings such as the Alpine Orogeny or the Ionian Sea. The orientation of the maximum horizontal stress SHmax tends to be uniform with depth within uncertainties while larger stress heterogeneity (quantified by means of the focal mechanism diversity and misfit angles) is found between 5 and 14 km. Both, the orientation of the largest horizontal shortening axis of the strain field from potency tensors, and horizontal strain rate tensor from GPS data are generally sub-parallel to SHmax orientation, indicating a linear stress/strain relationship and that the orientations of the co-seismic release and interseismic strain accumulation are generally consistent.

Effects of Preexisting Structures on the Seismicity of the Charlevoix Seismic Zone

AbstractThe Charlevoix Seismic Zone (CSZ) is located along the early Paleozoic St. Lawrence rift zone in southeastern Quebec at the location of a major Devonian impact structure. The impact structure superimposed major, steeply dipping basement faults trending approximately N35°E. Approximately 250 earthquakes are recorded each year and are concentrated within and beneath the impact structure. Most M4+ earthquakes associated with the rift faults occurred outside the impact structure. Apart from the unique distribution of earthquakes, stress inversion of focal mechanisms shows stress rotations within the CSZ, and in the CSZ relative to the stress orientation determined from borehole breakouts. The primary goal of this research is to investigate the combined effects of the preexisting structures and regional stresses on earthquake activity and stress rotations in the CSZ. We approach this using PyLith, a finite‐element code for simulations of crustal deformation. Adopting the results from recent hypocenter relocation and 3‐D tomography studies, we modify the locations and dips of the rift faults and assess the effect of the new fault geometries on stress distributions. We also discuss the effects of resolved velocity anomalies. We find that the observed stress rotation is due to the combined effect of the rift faults and the impact structure. One‐dimensional velocity models of the CSZ with an embedded impact structure and a combination of 65°‐40°‐40° and constant 70° fault dip models with a very low friction coefficient of 0.3 and cohesion of 0 MPa can explain the observed seismicity and more than 50% of the stress rotations.

How Do Variably Striking Faults Reactivate During Rifting? Insights From Southern Malawi

AbstractCrustal extension is commonly thought to be accommodated by faults that strike orthogonal and obliquely to the regional trend of the minimum compressive stress (σ3). Activation of oblique faults can, however, be conceptually problematic as under Andersonian faulting, it requires preexisting crustal weaknesses, high fluid pressures, and/or stress rotations. Furthermore, measurements of incremental fault displacements, which are typically used to identify oblique faulting, do not necessarily reflect regional stresses. Here, we assess oblique faulting by calculating the stress ratio (σ3/σ1, where σ1 is the maximum compressive stress), slip tendency, and effective coefficient of friction (μs′) required to reactivate variably striking normal faults under different trends of σ3. We apply this analysis to NW and NNE striking active faults at the southern end of the Malawi Rift, where NE‐SW, ENE‐WSW, E‐W, and SE‐NW σ3 trends have previously been proposed. A uniform σ3 trend is inferred for this region as recent joints sets do not rotate along the rift. With a NE‐SW trending σ3, NW‐striking faults are well oriented, however, NNE‐striking faults require μs′ < 0.6 to reactivate. This is inconsistent with a lack of frictionally weak phyllosilicates detected in the fault zone rocks. With an ENE‐WSW to E‐W trending σ3, all faults can reactivate at μs′ > 0.55. These σ3 trends are also comparable to a focal mechanism stress inversion, regional joint orientations, and previously reported geodetically derived extension directions. We therefore conclude that unlike typical models of oblique rifting, the southern Malawi Rift consists of faults that all strike slightly oblique to σ3.

Strain rate and stress fields in the West and South Lut block, Iran: Insights from the inversion of focal mechanism and geodetic data

The active tectonic deformation and hazardous earthquakes in the south and west of the Lut block have been investigated for a long time. In this study, we compute the geodetic and seismic strain rates using focal mechanism data from the Harvard CMT catalogue and various other sources including the published GPS velocities. Moreover, we also perform Focal Mechanism Stress Inversion (FMSI) to deduce a stress model for the region. Our study shows an expected correlation between the stress orientations, seismic and geodetic strain rates. Our results show that the south and west of the Lut block is generally exposed as a compressional strike-slip tectonic regime. The tectonic convergence in this area is taken up not only by motions along and across the faults but also by the rotation of those blocks which bounded by these faults. The maximum amount of rotation rate is observed where there are the main right lateral strike slip fault systems such as Sabzevaran, Gowk, Nayband, Bam, Kuhbanan, and Kahurak. The orientation of the mean stress direction, obtained from the FMSI results in the west and south of the Lut block, is approximated ~N19 E. In this area, faults are almost oblique relative to the tectonic motion direction. Moreover, there are right-lateral and left-lateral shears, in addition to the dip movements in different parts of the south and west of the Lut block. Our analyses show three main categories of the stress regimes including strike-slip faulting (43.2%), thrust faulting (38.6%), and unknown or oblique faulting (18.2%).We also calculated seismic and geodetic moment rates for this area, which indicate the seismic moment rate is relatively high between Bam and Shahdad where there are some segments of the Gowk fault.

Rupture of the Indian slab in the 2011 Mw 6.9 Sikkim Himalaya earthquake and its tectonic implications

Unlike the other Himalayan plate boundary segments, the eastern Nepal to Bhutan Himalayan region is not known to have generated prominent shallow thrust faulting earthquakes, typical of the ongoing convergence. This region features strike-slip earthquakes over the depth ranges of 40�120 km, indicating intraslab deformation. Here we present for the first time a slip distribution model for the largest recorded intraslab strike-slip earthquake in this region, the Mw 6.9 Sikkim event that occurred on 18 September 2011. Relying on kinematic source process modeling, our results indicate a NE-SW trending, steeply dipping sinistral source zone within the underthrusting Indian slab. The rupture propagated radially, with a low rupture velocity of 1.7 km/s, breaking a large asperity of 20 A� 20 km 2 with a maximum slip of 1.6 m. The rupture nucleated at a depth of 45 km and reached upper mantle depths. The computed coseismic stress drop value is 13.6 MPa. We suggest that most of the aftershocks occurred on the conjugate plane, possibly due to stress triggering. Stress inversion of focal mechanisms indicates a transpressive stress regime throughout the crust and pure strike-slip regime in the upper mantle. We observed a unimodal distribution of earthquakes beneath the Higher Himalaya. This indicates a strong, brittle Indian slab and unravels a scenario of an eventual breakup of the lithosphere; the key trigger might be variation in the convergence rates along the Himalayan arc. ©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Rupture of the Indian Slab in the 2011 Mw 6.9 Sikkim Himalaya Earthquake and Its Tectonic Implications

AbstractUnlike the other Himalayan plate boundary segments, the eastern Nepal to Bhutan Himalayan region is not known to have generated prominent shallow thrust faulting earthquakes, typical of the ongoing convergence. This region features strike‐slip earthquakes over the depth ranges of 40–120 km, indicating intraslab deformation. Here we present for the first time a slip distribution model for the largest recorded intraslab strike‐slip earthquake in this region, the Mw 6.9 Sikkim event that occurred on 18 September 2011. Relying on kinematic source process modeling, our results indicate a NE‐SW trending, steeply dipping sinistral source zone within the underthrusting Indian slab. The rupture propagated radially, with a low rupture velocity of 1.7 km/s, breaking a large asperity of 20 × 20 km2 with a maximum slip of 1.6 m. The rupture nucleated at a depth of 45 km and reached upper mantle depths. The computed coseismic stress drop value is 13.6 MPa. We suggest that most of the aftershocks occurred on the conjugate plane, possibly due to stress triggering. Stress inversion of focal mechanisms indicates a transpressive stress regime throughout the crust and pure strike‐slip regime in the upper mantle. We observed a unimodal distribution of earthquakes beneath the Higher Himalaya. This indicates a strong, brittle Indian slab and unravels a scenario of an eventual breakup of the lithosphere; the key trigger might be variation in the convergence rates along the Himalayan arc.

Active Faulting Geometry and Stress Pattern Near Complex Strike‐Slip Systems Along the Maghreb Region: Constraints on Active Convergence in the Western Mediterranean

AbstractThe Maghreb region (from Tunisia to Gibraltar) is a key area in the western Mediterranean to study the active tectonics and stress pattern across the Africa‐Eurasia convergent plate boundary. In the present study, we compile comprehensive data set of well‐constrained crustal stress indicators (from single focal mechanism solutions, formal inversion of focal mechanism solutions, and young geologic fault slip data) based on our and published data analyses. Stress inversion of focal mechanisms reveals a first‐order transpression‐compatible stress field and a second‐order spatial variation of tectonic regime across the Maghreb region, with a relatively stable SHmax orientation from east to west. Therefore, the present‐day active contraction of the western Africa‐Eurasia plate boundary is accommodated by (1) E‐W strike‐slip faulting with reverse component along the Eastern Tell and Saharan‐Tunisian Atlas, (2) a predominantly NE trending thrust faulting with strike‐slip component in the Western Tell part, and (3) a conjugate strike‐slip faulting regime with normal component in the Alboran/Rif domain. This spatial variation of the present‐day stress field and faulting regime is relatively in agreement with the inferred stress information from neotectonic features. According to existing and newly proposed structural models, we highlight the role of main geometrically complex shear zones in the present‐day stress pattern of the Maghreb region. Then, different geometries of these major inherited strike‐slip faults and its related fractures (V‐shaped conjugate fractures, horsetail splays faults, and Riedel fractures) impose their component on the second‐ and third‐order stress regimes. Neotectonic and smoothed present‐day stress map (mean SHmax orientation) reveal that plate boundary forces acting on the Africa‐Eurasia collisional plates control the long wavelength of the stress field pattern in the Maghreb. The current tectonic deformations and the upper crustal stress field in the study area are governed by the interplay of the oblique plate convergence (i.e., Africa‐Eurasia), lithosphere‐mantle interaction, and preexisting tectonic weakness zones.

A Comprehensive Analysis on the Stress Field and Seismic Anisotropy in Eastern Tibet

AbstractWidespread rotations of maximum compressive stress in the upper crust are revealed in eastern Tibet by the focal mechanism stress inversion technique. Because of the good correlation with locations of folds, anticlines, and mountains in the region, the upper crustal stress variation is related to the lateral displacement of upper crust. To compare deformations in upper crust and upper mantle, we use SKS/SKKS splitting measurements to investigate the seismic anisotropy in eastern Tibet. The fast polarization directions subparallel to the strikes of faults in Chuandian fragment and southern boundary tectonic belt. This may indicate that the induced anisotropy mainly resulted from alignment of fault fabrics by strong shearing along strike‐slip faults, while the widespread stress rotations and systemic angular difference between upper crustal stress field and seismic anisotropy suggest that the decoupling of upper crustal deformation from middle‐lower crust by a series of detachments in the process of the crust thickening resulted from the obstruction of eastward expansion by Sichuan Basin.

Corrigendum: Current crustal deformation of the Taiwan orogen reassessed by cGPS strain-rate estimation and focal mechanism stress inversion

Corrigendum: Current crustal deformation of the Taiwan orogen reassessed by cGPS strain-rate estimation and focal mechanism stress inversion

Current crustal deformation of the Taiwan orogen reassessed by cGPS strain-rate estimation and focal mechanism stress inversion

Current crustal deformation of the Taiwan orogen reassessed by cGPS strain-rate estimation and focal mechanism stress inversion

Sensitivity of stress inversion of focal mechanisms to pore pressure changes

AbstractWe investigate the sensitivity of stress inversion from focal mechanisms to pore pressure changes. Synthetic tests reveal that pore pressure variations can cause apparent changes in the retrieved stress ratio R relating the magnitude of the intermediate principal stress with respect to the maximum and minimum principal stresses. Pore pressure and retrieved R are negatively correlated when R is low (R < 0.6). The spurious variations in retrieved R are suppressed when R > 0.6. This observation is independent of faulting style, and it may be related to different performance of the fault plane selection criterion and variability in orientation of activated faults under different pore pressures. Our findings from synthetic data are supported by results obtained from induced seismicity at The Geysers geothermal field. Therefore, the retrieved stress ratio variations can be utilized for monitoring pore pressure changes at seismogenic depth in stress domains with overall low R.

Contemporary tectonic stress pattern of the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand

AbstractThe present‐day stress state is a key parameter in numerous geoscientific research fields including geodynamics, seismic hazard assessment, and geomechanics of georeservoirs. The Taranaki Basin of New Zealand is located on the Australian Plate and forms the western boundary of tectonic deformation due to Pacific Plate subduction along the Hikurangi margin. This paper presents the first comprehensive wellbore‐derived basin‐scale in situ stress analysis in New Zealand. We analyze borehole image and oriented caliper data from 129 petroleum wells in the Taranaki Basin to interpret the shape of boreholes and determine the orientation of maximum horizontal stress (SHmax). We combine these data (151 SHmax data records) with 40 stress data records derived from individual earthquake focal mechanism solutions, 6 from stress inversions of focal mechanisms, and 1 data record using the average of several focal mechanism solutions. The resulting data set has 198 data records for the Taranaki Basin and suggests a regional SHmax orientation of N068°E (±22°), which is in agreement with NW‐SE extension suggested by geological data. Furthermore, this ENE‐WSW average SHmax orientation is subparallel to the subduction trench and strike of the subducting slab (N50°E) beneath the central western North Island. Hence, we suggest that the slab geometry and the associated forces due to slab rollback are the key control of crustal stress in the Taranaki Basin. In addition, we find stress perturbations with depth in the vicinity of faults in some of the studied wells, which highlight the impact of local stress sources on the present‐day stress rotation.

Seismotectonic analysis of the 2013 seismic sequence at the western Corinth Rift

This study focuses on a series of small intraplate earthquakes that took place during May–August 2013 on the southwestern coast of the Corinth Rift (Central Greece), a few km southeast of Aigion city. The Corinth Rift is one of the most seismically active parts of the Mediterranean. We analyzed more than 1500 events with 0.4≤ML≤3.7, the major part of which was recorded by a dense local network. The seismicity is densely clustered in a volume of dimensions ∼4×2×6km3, aligned in a N110° direction and at depths ranging between 6 and 12km. Precisely relocated hypocenters and reliably constrained focal mechanisms indicate north dipping planar faults with an average dip of ∼60°. Stress inversion of focal mechanisms implies that the dominant local stress field is extensional in a N5° direction, in good agreement with geodetic observations. The swarm evolved in two phases, with a spatiotemporal migration of epicenters from the eastern toward the western part of the rupture zone, while slip distribution appears homogeneous over the eastern part and strongly inhomogeneous in the western part. These two phases also produced different results in scaling relations such as the Gutenberg–Richter law, the Modified Omori Formula and the Epidemic Type of Aftershock Sequence model. Similar results from other studies have been reported and correlated with a fluid driven mechanism, however further research is required to strengthen this hypothesis for the purposes of this study.

Crustal Stress Map of Iran: Insight From Seismic and Geodetic Computations

We used the focal mechanisms of crustal earthquakes (depth <40 km) in the period 1909–2012 and the available GPS velocities, derived from the data collected between 1999 to 2011, to estimate the magnitude and directions of maximum principal stress and strain rates in Iran. The Pearson product moment correlation was used to find the correlation between the stress field obtained from the focal mechanism stress inversion and that obtained using the seismic and geodetic strain rates. Our assumption is that stresses in a continuum are produced by tectonic forces and the consequent deformation on the crustal scale. Therefore, the direction of the stress and strain (or strain rate) are ideally to be the same. Our results show a strong correlation between the directions of the principal components of stress and strain (rate) obtained using the different data/methods. Using weighted average analysis, we present a new stress map for Iran.

Stress changes induced at neighbouring faults by the June 2000 earthquakes, South Iceland Seismic Zone

The South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ) is an E-W trending active transform zone with high seismicity. N-S trending right-lateral strike-slip faults accommodate the left-lateral transform motion. Using seismological data recorded from 1991 to 2007, we carried out stress inversion of focal mechanisms of 1340 earthquakes that affected the Skard and Leirubakki faults, eastern SISZ. Not only did the inversion show typical deviations of stress across the faults, it also revealed anticlockwise and clockwise rotations of stress axes with time. Numerical models of the Leirubakki Fault show that these rotations are consistent with the mechanical effect of a lowered friction coefficient during the post-seismic period relative to the pre-seismic period. The Skard Fault reveals a more complex behaviour associated with a higher post-seismic friction, resulting from a higher density of pre-existing fracturing and probable stress interaction between faults. Our results suggest that faults where micro-earthquakes occur during neighbouring major seismic events may undergo significant stress changes at the scale of several kilometres and on time-scales of several years.

Damped regional‐scale stress inversions: Methodology and examples for southern California and the Coalinga aftershock sequence

We present a new focal mechanism stress inversion technique to produce regional‐scale models of stress orientation containing the minimum complexity necessary to fit the data. Current practice is to divide a region into small subareas and to independently fit a stress tensor to the focal mechanisms of each subarea. This procedure may lead to apparent spatial variability that is actually an artifact of overfitting noisy data or nonuniquely fitting data that does not completely constrain the stress tensor. To remove these artifacts while retaining any stress variations that are strongly required by the data, we devise a damped inversion method to simultaneously invert for stress in all subareas while minimizing the difference in stress between adjacent subareas. This method is conceptually similar to other geophysical inverse techniques that incorporate damping, such as seismic tomography. In checkerboard tests, the damped inversion removes the stress rotation artifacts exhibited by an undamped inversion, while resolving sharper true stress rotations than a simple smoothed model or a moving‐window inversion. We show an example of a spatially damped stress field for southern California. The methodology can also be used to study temporal stress changes, and an example for the Coalinga, California, aftershock sequence is shown. We recommend use of the damped inversion technique for any study examining spatial or temporal variations in the stress field.

Present-day seismicity, stress field and crustal deformation of Egypt

In this study we investigate present-day seismicity and crustal deformation of Egypt based on a comprehensive earthquake catalog from 1900 to 2004 by focal mechanism stress inversion and by recent GPS observations. Spatial distribution of earthquake epicenters indicates that Egypt has been suffered from both interplate and intraplate earthquakes. Most earthquake activity (more than 70%) has been concentrated in northern Egypt along the geologically documented borders of Sinai subplate (northern Red Sea and its two branches Suez rift and Aqaba–Dead Sea transform). The majority of inland earthquake focal mechanisms in Egypt are normal with strike-slip component or strike-slip faulting events. Only a small minority, namely four events, exhibits reverse faulting. The inversion method of Gephart and Forsyth (1984) was applied to calculate the orientation of the principle stress axes and the shape of the stress tensor. The best fitting tensor in Egypt shows homogeneity stress field. The tension stress regime is dominant in northern Egypt. The stress directions are well resolved by the 95% confidence limits, the relative stress magnitude has a value of about 0.3. However, along southern Egypt the strike-slip regime is dominant. The shape factor (R-value) is 0.5, which means that the deviatoric components of σ1 and σ3 are of the same magnitude, but of opposite signs. The average horizontal velocity of GPS stations in Egypt is 5.15± 1.1 mm/year in mostly NNW direction. The results of deformation analysis indicate that the northern Egypt is deformed more than the southern part. Only the Egyptian-Mediterranean coastal–Nile Delta zone dominates as a compression deformation area. However, an extensional deformation has been observed throughout the rest of country. This means that the relative motion of African plate with respect to both Eurasian and Arabian has highly controlled the deformation processes in Egypt.

Segmentation of the Aleutian plate boundary derived from stress direction estimates based on fault plane solutions

We propose a new method to investigate stress homogeneity along plate boundaries based on the cumulative misfit of individual fault plane solutions, calculated using assumed stress tensors. Using this method, some segments of faults can be defined, without the time‐consuming inversions for stress directions from earthquake fault plane solutions. We assume that the misfits are relatively constant within segments of uniform stress orientation but that they change abruptly at boundaries of segments. This assumption is supported by the pattern of misfits observed for about 400 earthquakes located along the Aleutian subduction zone from 170°E to 145°W, which occurred between 1964 and 1993. The efficacy of the approach is confirmed by stress inversion analysis of moving windows. The cumulative misfit as a function of strike along the Aleutian arc shows there are five first‐order boundaries where the stress directions change significantly. The first one is near 177.5°E, which corresponds to the northward projection of the Rat fracture zone. The second one falls on the Adak fracture zone. The third is near the locus where the Amlia fracture zone intersects the trench. The fourth lies on the easternmost end of the 1957 aftershock zone. The last is located where the two major asperities of the 1964 rupture are separated. The segmentation boundaries found in our analysis may be controlled by the fracture zones in the subducted plate. This observation may be interpreted as due to decoupling within the underthrusting plate along the zones of weakness (the fracture zones) across which stress may not be transmitted fully. The boundaries defined by our method may also be related to the asperity and aftershock distributions of great earthquakes. The focal mechanism data in the segments defined as stress‐homogeneous by our method are then used to invert for the principal stress orientations by employing the Focal Mechanism Stress Inversion (FMSI) computer programs of Gephart. We find that the stress directions within these segments are different from each other, where they can be defined well, and the average misfits in these volumes are very small (2.8° and 5.5°). The method is not robust enough to detect all the stress segmentation boundaries based on only one reference stress tensor. Analyses with different reference stress models help to define most or all the stress segmentation boundaries.